The Making of a Musical
by Seraph2
Summary: A film director gathers 20 teenage boys together to make a new musical called Newsies. Unfortunately, most of the boys don't know how to dance. So, the movie's director asks a local girls' dance team to teach the boys how to dance.
1. one

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Chapter One

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Disclaimer: The newsies belong to Disney.

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AN: This fic doesn't accurately portray the actual production of _Newsies. _The real movie was directed by Kenny Ortega, and quite a few of the actors were already in their twenties when it was produced. Also, not all the actors in the movie acted like their characters in real life, but in this fic they do. And, of course, Kenny Ortega did not ask a local dance team to teach the newsies how to dance.

A tall, slender man with wavy, dark brown hair that fell past his shoulders strolled slowly into the large meeting room. His chocolate-brown eyes surveyed the twenty people seated in two rows of padded folding chairs. These people had two things in common. First, they were all teenage boys, with the exception of one, who was only nine. Secondly, they were all going to be part of the best live-action musical ever made. Or, the man at least hoped it would be the best live-action musical ever made.

The man clapped his hands loudly, and the twenty boys turned to look at him. Most had been staring at their feet or around the room, absorbed in their own thoughts. A few had started small conversations with their neighbors, getting to know the people that they would be working with in the ensuing months.

Once the man felt he had everyone's attention, he began to speak. "Welcome, everyone," he said warmly. Sometimes when people give a greeting like this, it sounds cheesy. Coming from this man, it sounded sincere. "My name is Daniel Rodriguez, and I will be your director and choreographer for this movie. I was one of the people watching you during your auditions, and I hand-selected you because I felt you would be the best person to play a certain role. Some of you have never acted in a movie before. Many of you have never sung or danced for an audience. But all of you---all of you---had something special. A certain _charisma_ that made me think you could do this. That you could _be _Crutchy or Mush or Itey or Bumlets. That you would not only act like them, but that you would think like them. Feel like them." As Daniel Rodriguez said this, he paced back and forth across the front of the room. Twenty pairs of eyes followed him with rapt, if skeptical, attention.

"To help you do this---to help you _be _your character---the rest of the crew and I have come up with a variety of ideas. Firstly, does anyone here know the name of anyone else in this room, other than myself?" A few boys raised their hands slowly. "What's your name?" was the first question they had asked when getting to know their fellow actors.

"Well, you can forget those names right now," Daniel announced, and he was greeted with quizzical looks as the few volunteers quickly lowered their arms. "Because instead of going by your given names, you will be referred to only by your _newsie _names."

"Our _what_?" a young man asked. He was seated in the fourth seat from the left in the first row. A diminutive person, he looked to be around five foot, three inches tall and about sixteen or seventeen years of age. His New York accent was obvious, even though he had only uttered two words.

"Your newsie names, of course," Daniel repeated. "Can anyone tell me what a newsie is?" A few people raised their hands, just like students in a classroom, and waited to be called on.

Daniel indicated a slender, relatively tall boy with curly dark hair and blue eyes, also seated in the front row. "Newsies were boys in the eighteen and early nineteen hundreds who sold papers for money," he said confidently.

"That's right," Daniel agreed. "And many of them went by nicknames. Your nicknames are the names of the characters you will be portraying."

"So you mean whatever our character is called in the script, that's what we're gonna be called the whole time we're making the movie?" a pale boy with blond hair asked.

"That's correct," Daniel said, nodding and smiling. "And now I'd like you all to pull your chairs into a circle." The boys stood and moved the chairs, some of them refolding the chairs and carrying them, others just dragging them across the floor. Daniel quickly found an extra chair for himself and inserted it into a space in the circle.

"We're going to go around in the circle now," he announced. "The first person in the circle will say their newsie name. The next person will say their newsie name and the name of the person before him. The third person will say their name and the names of both of the people before him. This will continue until we get back around the circle to me, at which time I will say _all _of the newsie names. Everyone understand?" The boys nodded. "Wonderful." Daniel glanced at the young man on his left. "You may start."

"Jack," the boy said with a strong British accent.

"David," the next one said gleefully. "That's my real name, too." He looked expectantly at the next boy in line, and Daniel coughed loudly. "Oh, yeah, and that was Jack," David added, jerking his head to the right.

Next was the youngest of the boys, the only one who wasn't yet a teenager. "Les, David, Jack," he said, and smiled with pride and relief. The game continued with few mistakes, until finally it had circled back to Daniel.

He smiled, took a deep breath, and began to recite: "Swifty, Pie Eater, Bumlets, Skittery, Snoddy, Dutchy, Specs, Snipeshooter, Itey, Jake, Snitch, Spot, Kid Blink, Mush, Boots, Crutchy, Racetrack, Les, David, and Jack." As he said each name, a few boys smiled, but most cringed. Their newsie titles weren't exactly their favorite names ever. Especially not for people like Spot, who was scowling ferociously, or Snoddy, whose face had turned an interesting shade of pink.

"Now, the real newsies slept in bunk beds in a large building called a lodging house," Daniel continued, oblivious to the unhappy looks he was receiving. "Making you all sleep in the same room every night seemed a little extreme, but you will share a room with three other boys. And you will sleep in bunk beds."

"Just like summer camp," the boy with the New York accent---now known as Racetrack---muttered.

"When I read off your room assignments, I'd like you to split up into groups. Room A will meet in the corner over there." Daniel indicated a corner to his right and then pulled a list from his jeans pocket. "And, staying in room A are…Jack, David, Spot, and Les." The four boys stood and walked to the right-hand corner. Jack strolled nonchalantly, David tried to appear nonchalant but really looked tense, Spot just looked angry—most likely about his name, which sounded more appropriate for a Dalmatian, and Les just stared up at the three older boys in awe.

"How old are you?" he asked Jack worshipfully, his eyes wide with admiration. 

"Sixteen," Jack answered, bending down a little so he could look directly at the younger boy. "And how old are you?"

"Near ten," Les replied.

"So nine?" David asked.

"Well, yeah," Les admitted. "But my birthday's only ten months away." David rolled his eyes at Jack over Les's head, but Jack only laughed. 

"I'll remember to get you a birthday present," he promised.

"In room B," Daniel continued, "will be Racetrack, Mush, Kid Blink, and Crutchy." As Racetrack walked to room B's appointed corner, he glanced surreptitiously at his new roommates. Luckily, they all looked pretty normal. If he had to share a room with three other people (which he really, really didn't want to do), at least they didn't seem to be lunatics.

"In room C are Boots, Snipeshooter, Swifty, and Pie Eater." 

Snipeshooter immediately began asking questions as the four boys walked to their corner. "Do you actually like pie?" he wondered. "And does anyone know what a snipe is?" 

"Yeah, I kind of like pie," Pie Eater, who had pale skin and very dark hair, answered quietly, "and I don't have any idea what a snipe is. Maybe you should ask Daniel."

Snipeshooter nodded and decided to wait, as Daniel was busy reading off the inhabitants of room D: "Itey, Snitch, Skittery, and Snoddy." These four, all tall with light brown hair except for one, migrated to the remaining corner.

Daniel glanced around at the four boys still sitting in the center of the room "Specs, Bumlets, Dutchy, and Jake?" he asked hopefully, and all four nodded. "Great." Daniel moved a little ways away from the center circle and raised his voice slightly. "I'm going to come talk to each group individually and then show you your rooms. While you're waiting, get to know each other. I promise that, not only will you work and live with these people, but they will also become your friends."

Reviews appreciated, as always! Now, about the casting call. As I said in the summary, the director of _Newsies _asks a dance team made up of high school-age girls to teach the newsies the basis of dance. The casting call is for people who would like their characters to be on the dance team. Please fill out the information below and send it to dani_d2008 @ yahoo.com. (The e-mail address is also in my profile.)

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Name:

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Age (between 13 and 18):

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Height:

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Physical Appearance:

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Personality (lots of details, please):

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Likes:

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Dislikes:

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Is Your Character in Any Other Fics on FF.net? (so that I can read more details about her)

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Newsie Interest #1:

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#2:

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#3:

Other Interesting Facts:

In the next chapter, I'll tell you when the deadline for casting call applications is.

See you then! 


	2. two

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Chapter Two

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Disclaimer: The newsies belong to Disney, the original characters belong to their creators, and the plot belongs to me.

AN: This fic doesn't accurately portray the actual production of _Newsies. _The real movie was directed by Kenny Ortega, and quite a few of the actors were already in their twenties when it was produced. Also, not all the actors in the movie acted like their characters in real life, but in this fic they do. And, of course, Kenny Ortega did not ask a local dance team to teach the newsies how to dance. Finally, as you'll see from the _Seabiscuit_ references in this chapter, I've set the fic in 2003 instead of the early 1990's, mainly because I wasn't even in school when the movie was actually produced, so I have no clue about the pop culture of that era.

By the time Daniel had talked to each group individually and escorted them to their rooms, it was almost 5:00 in the evening. They were supposed to be in the cafeteria for supper by 5:30, and until then they could unpack their belongings and get to know their roommates. Their rooms were actually suites in a modified dormitory on the outskirts of UCLA, but, unfortunately, Daniel had forbidden them from leaving the building.

The first matter of discussion in room A was the bunk assignments. "Can I have a top bunk?" Les pleaded. "Please?"

"Will you roll off?" David asked.

"No, 'cause there's a railing," Les answered.

"Will you move around and make lots of noise?"

"No, 'cause there's not enough room to roll around. It's not a very big bed."

"Will you get scared in the middle of the night and want to change bunks?"

"David, he's almost ten! I'm sure he doesn't get nightmares any more," Jack interrupted. "Besides, if he wants a top bunk, then I'll sleep below him. You won't have to worry about a thing."

"Then I'm bunking with David," Spot said without much enthusiasm.

"You can have the top," David offered.

"Why?" Spot teased. "You roll off beds? Scared of heights? Still have nightmares?"

"No," David said firmly. "But younger children always seem to want the top bunk. And since you're younger---or at least shorter---" here, David stared down at Spot's five foot, one inch frame, "I thought you might appreciate it."

"Who cares if I'm shorter?" Spot asked. "What matters is that I'm stronger."

"Oh, yeah?"

Jack stepped between them, sensing that this confrontation was getting a little out of hand. "Just for the record, guys, I'm taller, older, and stronger than both of you. And, besides, does it really matter?"

David stepped down automatically, but Spot glared at Jack for a minute.

"How do you know how old I am?" he wondered suspiciously.

"I guessed," Jack admitted.

"How old are you?" Les asked innocently, the older boys' conflict going right over his head.

"I'm fourteen," Spot said.

"Fifteen," David countered.

"Sixteen," Jack said firmly. "Come on, Les, let's start unpacking."

***

In room B, the residents were not competing about who had the best fighting ability. Instead, they were discussing who had the worst nickname.

"Racetrack isn't that bad," Mush conceded, lounging on one of the bottom bunks. "It makes you sound like a runner or something."

"You're legs are too short for you to be a runner," Kid Blink laughed, as did Mush. Racetrack only rolled his eyes.

"Nah, but you could be a jockey or something," Crutchy suggested. "Aren't they supposed to be short and kinda skinny?"

"The one in _Seabiscuit_ was," Mush commented.

"You went to see _Seabiscuit_, too?" Racetrack asked. "That was an awesome movie."

"I went with my girlfriend. She has thing for horses."

"You have a girlfriend?"

"Uh…not anymore."

"She dumped you?" Kid Blink guessed.

"Yeah," Mush admitted reluctantly. "When she found out I was going to be gone for five months, she got a little upset."

"Too bad," Crutchy said. "Maybe you can find a girlfriend around here."

"Doubt it," Mush said. "The only girl close to our age in the script is Sarah. And she'll probably end up dating Jack or something."

"Yeah, wonder if she'll be hot," Kid Blink mused.

"Hope so, for Jack's sake," Racetrack joked. "He has to kiss her."

***

"Hey, maybe they'll serve pie for dinner tonight," Snipeshooter joshed. "Huh, Pie?"

"Sure, Snipeshooter," Pie said, obviously unamused.

"Uh, Snipeshooter, why don't you go down to the cafeteria early? Maybe the cooks will tell you what they're serving," Swifty suggested.

"Okay," Snipeshooter said eagerly. "You want to come, Boots?"

Boots shrugged. "Sure. Why not?" Together, the two younger boys headed out of their room and toward the cafeteria.

Pie Eater sighed in relief. "Thanks," he said gratefully. "I was getting really tired of the pie thing."

"So was I," Swifty replied. "I vote we bunk together. Snipes and Boots can have the other beds."

***

In room D, Skittery was stretched out on a bed, making a noise that sounded halfway between growling and moaning.

"What's the matter, Skitts?" Snitch queried, his wide blue eyes staring curiously at the rather depressed-looking boy.

"Skitts?" Itey wondered.

"I dunno. Skittery seemed kind of long. Skitts was easier to say."

"It's fine with me," Skittery replied.

"You never answered my question, Skitts," Snitch persisted. "What's the matter?"

"I'm bored, okay," Skittery muttered. "There's nothing to do. We're stuck here in the dorms till supper. After that we have some orientation with Daniel. When do we get free time?"

"I dunno," Snoddy said. "Ask Daniel during the orientation. Maybe he'll let us go out to a movie or something."

"Hope so."

***

In the last room, the conversation was less about normal teenage male topics and more about a passion that all four of the residents shared: dance.

"Do you think any of the other guys can dance?" Dutchy wondered.

"Probably some," Bumlets speculated. "I mean, it's a musical, right? Isn't dance supposed to be one of the main things?"

"But how would they find twenty teenage guys who can act, sing, and dance?" Specs pointed out. "Twenty girls, yeah. But twenty guys? Half the guys at my dance school wouldn't even try out for the movie because they were too embarrassed to dance on camera."

"Yeah, but look at all the guys who are training for ballet companies," Jake said. "They dance in front of audiences all the time."

"And if they're serious about professional ballet, they're going to be way to busy to make a movie," Dutchy pointed out. "They'll spend their summer at an intensive training program at one of the big dance schools."

"I was going to do that," Bumlets muttered.

"Are you serious?" Specs asked. "Why didn't you?"

"'Cause I thought this would be fun. I spend so much time dancing that I don't get to sing or act much. Or just hang out with people."

"Well, I was going to be stuck in summer school, since my English teacher's convinced that I should learn to spell before I graduate high school. This is going to be way better than that," Dutchy said.

"Definitely," Specs agreed.

A loud knock sounded on the door. 

"Come on in. It's open," Jake, who was sitting closest to the door, called.

Snipeshooter stuck his head in, grinning eagerly. "Daniel just sent me up to tell you that it's time for supper," he announced. "And guess what? We're having lemon meringue pie for dessert!"

***

After supper, the boys gathered in the lobby of the dormitory.

"Well, did you all enjoy supper?" Daniel asked.

"Yeah," Snipeshooter shouted. "Especially the PIE. It was great. Wasn't it, PIE?"

"Uh, sure," Pie Eater said staring fixedly at the ground and gritting his teeth.

Unfazed by Snipeshooter's comment, Daniel continued. "Tomorrow, you start your training."

"Training?" Kid Blink wondered. "Training for what?"

"For the musical. You'll have singing and dancing classes, rehearsals, and, of course, you'll continue your normal academic classes with tutors." 

At this announcement Dutchy groaned (because he'd still have summer school), and so did David (for a different reason). "We have to dance?" he exclaimed, as a few of the veteran dancers chuckled.

"It is a musical," Daniel pointed out. 

"But I promise, we'll try to make it as painless as possible," a petite, brown-haired woman said as she walked through the double doors of the dormitory and into the lobby.

"Hey, Nikki," Daniel said, waving the newcomer to his side. "Everybody, this is Nicole"---the woman glared---"I mean Nikki Saunders. She's a teacher at the California Academy of Dance here in Los Angeles. Her main job is coaching Adrenaline, which is CAD's competitive dance team."

"Cool," Bumlets commented, and the other newsies turned to stare at him. "I do a lot of competitive dancing," he explained. "I've heard of Adrenaline before."

"Great," Nikki said, gracing Bumlets with a wide smile. "With Daniel and the casting directors' help, I've separated you into three groups: those who've done lots of dancing, those who've done some dancing, and those who have never had any formal dance training."

"And I have that list with me," Daniel continued, pulling it out of his pocket. "Now, in room A…oops, sorry, wrong list." He extracted a different sheet of paper, unfolded it, and began to read.

"In the experienced dancers' group, I have Specs, Bumlets, Dutchy, Jake, Snitch, Pie Eater, and Swifty. You will have the most difficult choreography, so you'll mostly be working on that.

"In the intermediate group are Itey, Skittery, Snoddy, Mush, and Kid Blink. You're going to refine your dance abilities and eventually work with the advanced dancers on learning the choreography.

"And, finally, the beginners: Jack, David, Spot, Les, Racetrack, Crutchy, Boots, and Snipeshooter. Basically, you're going to learn how to dance."

"Who's going to teach us all this?" Racetrack wondered. "You have three groups, but there's only two of you."

"I'm so glad you asked," Nikki said, her grin growing even wider. "Like Daniel said, I mostly work with Adrenaline, which is a sixteen-member high school-aged dance team. This summer, instead of going to dance camps or doing extra competitions, they'll be helping you."

"You mean a bunch of high school kids are gonna teach us how to dance?" Spot wondered.

"A bunch of high school girls?" Jack added.

"Fifteen girls, one boy," Nikki said. 

"Wow," Jack murmured, leaning back in his chair and smiling blissfully. "Maybe learning to dance won't be so bad after all." 

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AN: The casting call is now CLOSED. A huge thanks goes out to all who applied---your characters were great, and I wish I could have accepted all of them. I'll try to update again around Christmas Day, but that may not work out. I guarantee that you'll get another chapter before New Year's Day, though. Also, Nikki Saunders is based on the actual choreographer of Newsies, Peggy Holmes. Nikki is named in honor of my first grade dance teacher.

(Really, really short) **Shout-outs**:

*_my dog ate my penname_ – Thanks for the review!

*_quietviolence_ – Thanks for the review! Here's your update.

*_Checkmate_ – Reviews NEVER bore me. I'm always happy to receive them. Thanks for giving me one!

*_Shakes_ – Here's the next chapter! Thanks for the review!

*_Cheese-Doodles-Are-Yummy_ – Thanks for the review!

*_Thistle_ – I have a cool fic---awesome. Thanks for the review!

*_Colleen_ – Thanks for the review!

*_klover_ – Thanks for the review! I need all the luck I can get!

*_Ireland_ – Well, you're in! Thanks for the review!

*_Clips_ – Thanks for the review!

*_Angelfish7_ – Thanks for the review!

*_TheLoneReed_ – Thanks for the review!

*_Cerridwen4_ – Thanks for the review!

*_Soaker_ – Thanks for the review!

*_Frogger No Baka_ – I definitely will try to develop individual personalities for the less well-known newsies. Thanks for the review!

*_T-R-Us_ – Yeah, I really wanted to use the crew's real names (Kenny Ortega, Peggy Holmes, etc.), but FF.net is pretty strict about writing fics about fictional characters, not actual people. Thanks for the review!

*_ershey_ – I always thought the newsie names were kind of weird (Spot? For a ferocious leader? Sounds more like a puppy.), so I decided to make fun of them a little. Thanks for the review!

*_shinigami nanoda_ – Thanks for the review! Luvsies to you, too!

*_Sapphy_ – Yeah, I did put most of the traditional slash couples in the same rooms---Specs and Dutchy, Snitch and Skitts, Mush and Blink. I don't think there will actually be slash in the story, though…but you can imagine it if you want. (I know I'm going to.) And I love Les, too. He's so adorable. Thanks for the review! (And for explaining glomping, Soffes, etc.)

I'd also like to thank everyone who e-mailed me reviews along with their CC applications. Happy holidays, everybody!


	3. three

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Chapter Three

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Disclaimer: The newsies belong to Disney, the original characters belong to their creators, and the plot belongs to me.

Teenage boys do not generally enjoy getting up early in the morning. At least that's what one could conclude from the reactions of room A's residents when, at 6:30 a.m., their door was thrust open and a voice was heard singing, "Oh, what a beautiful morning! Oh, what a beautiful day! I've got a beautiful feeling! Everything's going my way!"

"Is that Daniel?" Spot murmured sleepily from his bed. Below him, David nodded without opening his eyes.

"Of course it's me!" Daniel exclaimed cheerfully, strolling into room A and shaking David's shoulder affectionately. "C'mon boys. Up and at 'em. Seize the day!"

"Remind me to lock our door tonight," Spot mumbled, turning over in his bunk so that he was facing away from the exuberant director.

"Oh, come on, Spot, that's pathetic," Daniel said joyfully, clapping a hand on Spot's shoulder. "Besides, if you sleep any longer, you're going to miss breakfast."

Suddenly, Spot seemed a little more awake. "Breakfast?" he asked with a hint of excitement.

"Yep," Daniel affirmed. "Breakfast. Served in the cafeteria at 7:00. Classes start at 8:00."

"Classes?" David wondered groggily, sitting up and almost hitting his head on the bunk above him. "What classes?"

"Dance classes, of course," Daniel said. "Adrenaline is coming over today! Jack, are you still asleep?" Daniel moved to the opposite side of the room. Les was climbing out of his bunk already, but Jack was still just a motionless lump, covered by sheets, his pillow clamped firmly over his head.

"Ja-ack," Daniel said in a singsong voice. "The dance team is coming over today. The _girls _on the dance team are coming over today."

Jack's eyelids flickered open. "Girls?"

"Girls," Daniel repeated, moving toward the door. "See you all in the cafeteria in half an hour."

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About forty-five minutes later, teenagers started to arrive at the movie studios. One building had been modified into a _Newsies_ training facility, complete with pianos for singing practice and mirrors and mobile barres for dancing.

The first teenagers to show up weren't the newsies, though. They were the members of Adrenaline, being directed by Nikki into the lobby of the building. They were dressed in a wide variety of dance attire: leotards, tights, jazz pants, sweat shirts, tank tops, leg warmers, headbands, and whatever else they had managed to find in their closets that morning. The only thing that identified them as members of the same dance team---or even dancers---was the black duffel bag that each person held. The bags were medium sized with "ADRENALINE" printed on one end and the owner's name on the other.

Like the newsies, the members of Adrenaline weren't particularly enthused about having to get up early.

"What do normal teenagers do on the first day of summer vacation?" a girl with short, spiky black hair and dark brown eyes wondered, speaking to no one in particular.

"They sleep in," another girl, this one with auburn hair and exotic, brandy-wine colored lips, answered. She dumped her duffel bag on the carpeted floor of the meeting room and sank into a padded folding chair next to it. 'RAVEN' was printed in bold white letters on one end of the bag.

"Right. And what are we doing on the first day of summer vacation?" the first girl asked.

"Dancing!" a third girl, one of the few who didn't look exhausted, exclaimed. 

"God, Ali, how can you be so…perky?" Raven wondered.

"I dunno," Ali replied. "I spent an hour at the skating rink already this morning. I guess I just don't need much sleep."

"No kidding," the first girl said, rubbing her eyes and sinking into a chair next to Raven. "Wish I could do that."

"What?" the only male member of Adrenaline teased. "Is Alex tired? Didn't Alex get her coffee this morning?"

"Shut up, Twist," Alex said without much enthusiasm.

"Good morning, everyone!" Nikki said happily, perching on the edge of a chair and taking a quick head count. "Now, let's see…we have Cat, Ireland, Ali, Alaska, Fighter, Lute, Moocher, Janet, Sapphy, Raven, Shakes, Trish, Zodiac, Alex, and, of course, Twist."

"Can't forget me, can you Nikki?" Twist asked with a grin.

"Naw, you're too loud to be forgotten," Raven commented. Twist stuck his tongue out at her and Nikki laughed.

"Real mature, Twist," she said. "Come on, everyone, I'll show you to one of the dance studios. We're going to warm up and then start reviewing the choreography that I taught you already."

Obediently, the dancers stood, grabbed their bags, and followed Nikki into a modified rehearsal space. Mirrors and barres had been added, along with taped lines on the floor to show the dancers where to stand. Once inside, the dancers pulled various pairs of Dansneakers, gore boots, jazz shoes, and ballet slippers out of their duffel bags and put them on. Then they spread out and started to warm up.

Nikki always enjoyed watching her dancers stretch. When she had started working with them, she had led the warm ups, but now she just let each person do their own thing. Ireland, Twist, Raven, and some of the other classically trained ballet dancers automatically headed for the barre and started doing _plies_, while others spread out on the floor. Just as Trish slid into a full split, Daniel, followed by a trail of newsies, walked in. Shakes started to giggle as pained expressions began to appear on the boys' faces. They watched with a mixture of horror and awe as Trish held the split for a full twenty seconds before sitting up, switching her legs, and sliding back to the ground.

"We don't have to do that, right, Daniel?" a boy with pretty blue eyes (according to Shakes) and curly brown hair asked warily.

"It doesn't hurt that much," Shakes said, jumping up and bouncing over to stand in front of the boy. "It's just a little easier for Trish, 'cause she's double-jointed. Don't worry, though---you'll get used to it. My name's Shakes; what's yours?"

"Uh…" David stepped back a little, obviously surprised at the speed of this introduction. 

"His name's David," Jack said easily, amused at Shakes's perkiness. "And I'm Jack."

"Hi, Jack," Shakes said. "That's a nice name. So's David. Have you ever danced before, David?"

David shook his head 'no', thinking that that might be easier than trying to formulate a sentence.

Shakes abruptly skipped away, landing in front of Nikki. "Can I be David's teacher?" she asked. "He's never danced before, and you said the beginning dancers would have individual teachers, and---"

"Sure, Shakes," Nikki said. By now, she was used to the excitability of the unmedicated ADHD sufferer. Well, sufferer might not be the right word. The ADHD sure didn't seem to bother Shakes much. "But try not to scare him," Nikki added as Shakes bounced back over to David.

"I get to be your teacher!" she exclaimed happily. "Isn't that cool?"

David couldn't think of any response but to nod. 

"Hey, Nikki, who's my teacher going to be?" Jack wondered, eagerly eyeing Raven, who was doing _developpes_ at the barre.

"Just a second," Nikki called, picking up her clipboard and jogging over to Jack. "Now, what's your name again?"

"Chris---I mean Jack. Jack Kelly."

"Let's see…Jack…" Nikki flipped through multiple sheets of paper before finding the one she was looking for. "You're a beginner, and you're with Twist."

"Twist?" Jack asked, pointing to Raven hopefully. "Is that Twist?"

"Nope," Nikki replied, chuckling at the crestfallen expression on Jack's face. "Hey, Twist, get your butt over here!"

A tan, blonde teenager ambled to Nikki's side. A tan, blonde, _male _teenager, that is.

"Jack, this is Michael Gold, who we all call Twist," Nikki introduced. "Twist, this is Jack Kelly, who you'll be teaching." This announcement didn't seem to make either boy especially happy.

"Have you ever danced before?" Twist asked condescendingly.

"Nope," Jack replied without a hint of emotion.

"Do you have any idea what the S.A.B. is?"

"Nope."

"How about Julliard?"

"Nope."

"S.A.B. is the School of American Ballet and Julliard is another dance school. A _famous, well-known, prestigious _dance school. And in a few years, that's where I'll be. While you're still hanging around Disney studios making movies for spoiled five year olds."

"Twist!" Nikki admonished. "Play nicely!"

"Can I get everyone to form a circle on the floor here?" Daniel called, interrupting Jack and Twist's argument. Shakes, who had been skipping among the boys, getting to know each of them, ran back to David, grabbed his hand, and found a spot in the circle right next to Daniel. The other dancers and newsies followed, with Jack and Twist finding seats on opposite edges of the ring. "Thanks," Daniel said when everyone was seated. "What I want to do today is get everyone split into groups by their dance ability. You'll all get to know your teachers a little, and then they'll start warming you up and teaching you some basic dance steps. Or, in the experienced dancers' case, reviewing dance steps."

"Okay, the experienced dancers are the only newsies who aren't going to have private teachers, since you obviously don't need them," Nikki said. "And they are Specs, Bumlets, Dutchy, Jake, Snitch, Pie Eater, and Swifty. The teachers for this group are Alaska---" a short, brown-haired girl waved shyly---"Moocher---"

"You can call me Mooch," a girl with extremely long pigtails proclaimed.

"---And Janet." When no one responded to Nikki's statement, the newsies looked around, searching for their third teacher.

"Janet, wake up!" Moocher hissed, elbowing the thin, dark-haired girl next to her. Slowly, Janet, wearing a dazed, unfocused expression, raised her arm. "That's me," she said quietly.

Specs and Dutchy glanced at each other. Their teachers seemed…_interesting_, to say the least.

"Why don't all of you go to dance studio C," Nikki suggested. "Just go out the door, down the hallway, and it'll be the first room on your right. You can get a head start warming up there." Moocher led the troop of experienced dancers out of the studio, and Nikki glanced back down at her clipboard. "Now, for the intermediate dancers. You'll work together as a group some, but you'll also work with private teachers on small solos or steps that are especially difficult for you. First off, Mush. You're with Ireland." Mush peered around the circle until his eyes settled on a tall girl with long, dark blond hair and one elegant arm raised in the air. "Itey, you're with Lute." A stocky, short-ish girl waved. "Kid Blink is with Trish." Blink stared at his new teacher with a little fear---this was the girl who had slid into the splits so effortlessly when the newsies were arriving. He hoped she wouldn't make him do that. "Snoddy is with Zodiac, and Skittery is with Alex," Nikki finished and the last two pairs found each other quickly. "You'll be in studio B. It's across the hallway from this room." Obediently, the intermediate dancers and their instructors trooped out of the room and across the hallway to their studio.

"Okay, now we're down to the beginners," Nikki announced. "Some of you have already met your teachers, but I'll finish the rest of the introductions. Boots, you're with Cat, our team leader. Racetrack is with Sapphy, Snipeshooter's with Ali, and Spot is with Fighter." Spot perked up a little at his dance teacher's nickname---she certainly didn't sound like the sort of dancer who wore tutus and danced to selections from _Swan Lake_. "Les is with Sparks." Les looked at his new teacher worriedly---he still wasn't sure whether girls had cooties or not---but smiled a little when he saw that she wasn't wearing a crop top or 'eye gunk'. "Crutchy's with Raven." Jack watched in envy as Raven---the girl he liked---raised her hand. Why did Crutchy get her? Crutchy couldn't have been more than fourteen---much too young for her. (Although in actuality Raven was only two years older than Crutchy.) "And, finally, Jack is with Twist and David---you lucky boy, you---is with Shakes. That's everybody, right?" The newsies nodded wordlessly, suddenly feeling a little---or maybe a lot---apprehensive. With the introductions over they would actually have to start learning that dance stuff. (Shudder.)

"Okay, everyone," Cat, the curly-haired captain of Adrenaline, called. "Spread out. Let's start stretching." Looking as if they were being led to the guillotine, the newsies spread out and prepared for one of the more painful experiences of their young lives.

****

AN: Sorry this update took so long…I hope you all had very happy holidays! Uh…plies are knee bends, and developpes (I hope I spelled that right) involve extending one leg in front of you and holding it there---they're both ballet steps. Dansneakers are a special type of dance shoe, and gore boots are just like regular jazz shoes except they're shaped kind of like an ankle boot and they don't have laces. Happy New Year, everybody!

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Shout-outs:

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Written Sparks – Thanks for the review! I'm glad you liked it!

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Ireland – Maybe I will have Pie smack Snipeshooter sometime…that's not a bad idea! Thanks for the review!

The Lone Reed – *coughthere'saverygoodchanceyouwillgettokicktheirbutts,thencough* 

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Janet – Thanks for the review and the complements! They make me feel great! Here's your update!

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Shakeseegirl – Thanks for the complement, Shakes!

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Frogger No Baka – I completely agree. Snipeshooter is VERY evil!

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Clips – You are in the beginner group, and I'll try to have you and Spot become friends. Thanks for the review!

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T-R-Us – Thanks for sending in your review! Sorry the update took so long!

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Raven – You're in the same group as Jack, and he's obviously developing quite the crush on you…thanks for the review!

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Matchin' Laces – Thanks for the review! Here's your update!

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Sapphy – I love reading your reviews---they're hilarious! I'm kind of thinking about having a chapter where the guys go to a movie theater to watch an old musical. 

__

Lute – Thanks for the review!


	4. four

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Chapter Four

****

Disclaimer: The newsies belong to Disney, the original characters belong to their creators, and the plot belongs to me. "Jet Song" is from the musical _West Side Story, _and its lyrics were written by Stephen Sondheim. "Everything's Coming Up Roses" is from _Gypsy, _and its lyrics were also written by Sondheim (busy guy).

The beginning dancers were obviously lacking in at least one major component of dance: flexibility. This became apparent when the members of Adrenaline started leading the boys through some basic stretches. To help take the boys' minds off the pain (and to cover up their increasingly loud complaints), Sapphy decided to put a CD in the stereo.

"How about Eminem?" Jack suggested. 

"Don't talk," Twist commanded. "Just stretch."

"Yes, Mr. Sunshine," Jack muttered sarcastically.

"I don't see any Eminem CDs in here, anyway," Sapphy said, poring over the stack of CDs provided by the film's producers. "It's mostly just Disney stuff and a few old musicals. I suppose we could listen to The Lion King…oh, wait, here's a good one." Sapphy slipped a CD into the CD player, and then cranked up the volume on the stereo.

As sinister music filled the room, Spot wondered, "_This _is supposed to be a _Disney_ musical?"

"Nope! It's _West Side Story_!" Sapphy crowed, before commencing to sing along with the opening song. 

"When you're a Jet, you're a Jet all the way, from your first cigarette, to your last dyin' day! 

"When you're a Jet, if the spit hits the fan, you got brothers around, you're a family man! 

"You're never alone, you're never disconnected! You're home with your own, when company's expected. You're well protected! 

"Then you are set with a capital J, which you'll never forget 'til they cart you away. When you're a Jet, You. Stay. A. Jet!" 

Some of the other girls joined in, but Spot just stared around him in horror, mumbling incoherent remarks about "being surrounded".

"Oh, just shut up and stretch," his instructor, Fighter, commanded. 

"Actually, that's probably about enough stretching," Cat decided. "We don't want their muscles to be too sore tomorrow morning." The resident dancers laughed while the newsies just groaned.

"Tomorrow morning? I'm sore _now_," Spot whined.

"Oh, get over yourself," Fighter muttered.

"Hey—" Spot began, but then shut up when he noticed Cat (among others) glaring at him.

"We're going to start off with something simple," Cat said. "It's the super-easy routine that Nikki showed us," she added to Ali. "Do you want to teach it?"

"Sure," Ali agreed, walking to the front of the room. She turned the music off, and then faced the newsies. "This is really basic, and it's only eight counts long. Watch me do it first, and then we'll try it together."

"It's just like kindergarten," Spot mumbled, only to be rewarded by Fighter with a kick in the shin. "Hey!"

"She's right, you do need to get over yourself," Ali decided firmly. "Just don't break anything," she remarked to Fighter. "I think Nikki mentioned something about wanting to keep these guys alive until _after _they finish filming."

"Then we can murder them?" Fighter asked eagerly.

Ali shrugged. "Sure. Why not? Anyway, here's how the first eight counts of the routine go: step-ball-change, hitch kick, point, point, single pirouette. Make sure you start on your left foot."

Ali's instruction (supplemented with a demonstration) was greeted with eight blank stares and giggles from most of the dancers.

"Uh, Ali, I think maybe we should teach them what a hitch kick is first. Or maybe even what a kick is," Sparks suggested, feeling sorry for Les, who looked completely lost already.

"I know what a kick is," Spot muttered. "It's what she just did to me." He pointed an accusing finger at Fighter.

"Naw," Fighter said nonchalantly. "This is a kick." She swung her leg up in front of her until it was well above Spot's head, and then returned it silently to the ground.

"Okay, two lines at the left side of the room," Ali announced. "We're doing straight kicks across the floor. Sapphy and Shakes will demonstrate."

With a little assistance from their instructors, the boys ended up in two lines of four at one end of the studio. Sapphy stood in front of one line with Shakes at the head of the other.

Ali turned the music back on and counted off, "Five, six, seven, eight." Together, Sapphy and Shakes stepped forward on their right feet and kicked their left legs into the air, toes pointed, legs straight. Ali waited until the two girls were halfway across the studio before counting off the next group. 

Tentatively, Jack and David stepped forward (on opposite feet) and kicked their legs into the air. Their flexed feet got up to about waist level before they returned to the ground with a collective thud. 

"You each owe me two push-ups!" Ali announced.

"What the---" Jack started. "What's that have to do with these stupid kicks?"

"You didn't point your toes," Ali said. "Whenever we practice kicks in class and we don't point our toes, we have to do two push-ups. Per kick."

"Fine," Jack grumbled. He and David both dropped to the ground and did a pair of push-ups. Jack's were decent, but David could just barely get himself off the ground before flopping back down to his stomach.

Twist doubled over, laughing. "God, you're all so pathetic!" he exclaimed. "You can't do kicks, you can't do push-ups. Seriously, can you guys do anything?"

"Hey!" Spot started menacingly, walking over to Twist. "What do you mean, we're pathetic?"

"Fighter, shouldn't you do something about this?" Sparks suggested. "Before the two Mr. Egotisticals start punching each other? I mean, you're supposed to be in charge of Spot."

"Oh, yeah," Fighter mused. "Down, Spot," she commanded calmly. Spot glared while everyone else in the studio guffawed. 

Nikki wandered into the studio, having heard the hysteric laughter from the next room. "How's it going in here?" she wondered. "Are they ready to try out for _Giselle _yet?"

"Nikki, honey," Twist began, walking over and placing his arm around his dance teacher's shoulders. "These guys aren't even coordinated enough to try out for a middle school football team."

"Come on, Twist, behave," Nikki scolded. "People like you so much better when you're nice."

"It's not my fault they're so inept," Twist muttered. 

Nikki just rolled her eyes. "So what's going on here?"

"We're doing straight kicks across the floor," Cat explained.

"Well, I personally wouldn't call them kicks, but I suppose…" Twist murmured, before receiving a glare from Nikki and shutting up.

"Let's see them, then," Nikki said. "Who's going? Jack and David?"

Looking reluctant and slightly embarrassed, Jack and David stepped forward and kicked, this time with their toes pointed, but still only getting their feet up to waist level before they plopped back to the ground. "Hmm…that was…interesting," Nikki said, trying not to giggle. "Work on kicking a little higher. Next?"

Spot and Crutchy followed Jack and David. Crutchy's kicks were actually pretty decent---it looked like he was at least trying. And Spot…well…

"Two push-ups, Spot. Now!" Fighter ordered. 

"My toes were pointed!" Spot whined.

"Sit down with your legs in front of you," Fighter instructed. Spot obeyed hesitantly. "Now point your toes." Spot did so half-heartedly, and Fighter put one hand on his right foot and pushed down hard, forcing his toes to point forward. "_That's _pointing your toes," she said, gritting her teeth in aggravation. "Now, let's go. Two push-ups."

"You did a good job, Crutchy," Raven instructed gently off to the side. "Just try to kick so your foot goes above your head. It might take a little work, but you'll get it." Crutchy grinned and continued practicing his kicks while Jack stared at him enviously, wishing that he was receiving Raven's private instruction instead of Twist's sarcastic comments.

"Next up!" Nikki called when Spot had grudgingly finished his push-ups. Les and Boots stepped tentatively to the front of their lines, Les giving Sparks a very skeptical look.

"Just try," she coaxed.

"Yeah! Just try it!" Shakes added enthusiastically, before starting her own little cheerleading routine. "Go Les! Go Les! It's your birthday! Go Les!" 

Twist clamped a firm hand over Shakes's mouth, although he was unable to stop her from jumping up and down and waving her arms in the air. "I don't think you're helping, Shakes, darling," he said gently. 

Les looked up in fear. "What's the matter with her?" he wondered.

"Nothing," Sparks reassured him. "She's just a little…energetic."

"No kidding," Les mumbled before attempting a kick. 

When he and Boots had finished, Nikki called for the last pair: Racetrack and Snipeshooter.

"You can do it! All you need is a hand! We can do it. Mama is gonna see to it!" Sapphy sang in an attempt to encourage her pupil.

Nikki put one hand on her forehead in exasperation as Shakes and Ali joined in, forming an exuberant, if slightly off-key, chorus. "Sapphy, remember what I told you?"

"Yes, ma'am," Sapphy said, ceasing her performance and staring at the floor in shame. "No singing selections from _Gypsy_, _My Fair Lady_, or _The King and I_ during rehearsal."

"And why did I tell you that?" Nikki prompted.

"Because it scares my fellow dancers."

"That's right," Nikki said, giving Sapphy a comforting pat on the shoulder. Sapphy quickly returned to her normally (or abnormally?) perky self.

"Now we're going to work on hitch kicks!" Cat announced as Racetrack and Snipeshooter finished their straight kicks. The boys lined up again and prepared for more torture.

****

AN: There will be separate chapters featuring the intermediate and advanced dance classes. (Don't worry, I won't forget them!) My dance teachers used to make my class do push-ups if we didn't point our toes during kicks, so that's where I got that idea. A big thank-you to Sapphy for writing out the lyrics to "Jet Song" in her review---if they're wrong, blame her (just kidding). This chapter was accompanied by Bon Jovi and my new _Ultimate Broadway _CD, and it was typed while I was wearing my new purple newsie cap.

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Shout-outs:

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ershey – My dance teacher told me once that to fully stretch out your muscles, you should hold a split for twenty seconds. (Which I suppose means that my muscles aren't ever anywhere close to being fully stretched out.) Thanks for the review!

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Clips – I love your character because she's so energetic and outgoing and fun to write. Thanks for reviewing!

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Matchin' Laces – Thanks for the review!

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Written Sparks – Sorry about all the confusion with your character! I tried to put her in more in this chapter. Thanks for the review!

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Ireland – Twist is so much fun to write. He reminds me of some of my guy friends, too. Thanks for reviewing!

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Janet – I'm glad I got your character right. I'm always a little nervous the first time I write someone else's character. Thanks for the review!

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Frogger No Baka – I LOVE writing Twist! He is so much fun! Nikki is kind of a cross between Peggy Holmes (an actual choreographer for _Newsies_) and my first dance teacher, Nicole. Thanks for the review!

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Lute - "Nikki always enjoyed watching her dancers stretch." In the rough draft, that was a really convoluted, run-on sentence, so I decided to shorten it…you're right, though, it is really funny when you think about it. And, yeah, I love to torture Jack, too. Thanks for the review!

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Randy – * coughI'llletyoukillthenewsiesafterIfinishwritingthisficcough *

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Sapphy (who didn't put her name at the top of her review) – I love your reviews so much---they make me laugh! _West Side Story_ is a really great musical. "Gee, Officer Krupke" is my favorite song from it. Lots of love to you, Sapphy!

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Raven – Developes were the first ballet step that came to mind when I was writing, so I just threw them in. I'm not too great at them, either. I'm not sure if Twist is gay or not…I'll think about it. Thanks for the review!


	5. five

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Chapter Five

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Disclaimer: The newsies belong to Disney, the original characters belong to their creators, and the plot belongs to me. Pringles and Doritos do not belong to me, although I eat them on a regular basis.

Practice was slightly easier with the intermediate dancers---they had danced some before, and they were willing to work hard and learn new steps. Also, they weren't completely inflexible, which really cut down on the moaning during stretches.

"Now we're going to work on some basic jumps," Lute announced. "I want Mush, Itey, and Blink in the left corner, and Skittery and what's-his-face in the right."

"It's Snoddy," Snoddy (what's-his-face) mumbled.

"Sorry. Skittery and _Snoddy_ in the right corner," Lute amended. Snoddy blushed slightly and followed Skittery to his corner of the room. "First, we're going to practice split leaps," Lute continued. "Right corner does step-ball-change cross right split leap, left corner does the same thing, but starting on their left feet. Any questions?"

Mush bashfully raised his hand. "What's a split leap?" he wondered.

"You just jump and do a split in the air," Ireland clarified. She demonstrated, leaping well above the ground and soaring across the studio while the boys stared open-mouthed.

"Has anyone done these before?" Lute wondered, hoping that someone would answer. Itey, Blink, and Skittery all raised their hands.

"Great," Lute said. "Itey, you go first. Mush and Snoddy, make sure you're paying attention."

"Lute, you sound like a schoolteacher," Trish teased quietly. "They even raise their hands when you ask a question."

Lute smirked and then hurried over to correct Itey when he had finished his leaps. "That was good, but remember to turn your back leg under. Next!"

Skittery went next. His split leaps were decent, but he seemed kind of hunched over, and he wasn't getting very far off the ground. "You should soar more," Alex, his private instructor, coached. "Pretend you're flying through the air on a trapeze." Skittery nodded quietly and returned to the back of the line.

Practice continued with the boys doing jumps and their teachers correcting them. After split leaps, they continued on to Russians, switch leaps, toe touches, tour jetes, and a variety of other jumps before Nikki walked in to check on them.

"How's it going?" she wondered.

"They're great!" Zodiac replied enthusiastically.

Nikki looked at the newsies. Their faces were red and glistening with sweat, and their chests were heaving. "They look tired to me. Why don't you guys go on break for ten minutes or so? Drinking fountains and bathrooms are down the hall to your left." 

"Sure," Lute agreed. "Okay everyone, take ten. Go get drinks and rest." She watched in surprise as five teenage boys stampeded down the hallway to the drinking fountains. "Wow." 

The five intermediate teachers sat down in a circle by their dance bags, pulling water bottles and snacks out of the pockets.

"So, what's next?" Alex wondered.

"Something easy. Please," a male voice begged, and the girls looked up to see that Mush had returned.

"That was fast," Ireland commented.

"I was the first one to the drinking fountain," Mush replied proudly, and Ireland noticed that there was still a drop of water at the corner of his lips. She laughed quietly, and Mush self-consciously rubbed the back of his hand over his mouth, removing the remaining moisture.

"Come sit down," Ireland offered, moving away from Lute so that Mush would have somewhere to sit. "Do you like chocolate chip granola bars?" she asked, offering Mush an open, near-empty box.

"Uh, yeah," Mush said slowly. "But you only have two left, so…"

"What?" Ireland exclaimed, peering into the box and then glaring at Trish. "Where'd the rest of my granola bars go?"

"I swear, I didn't touch them," Trish said, sounding rather guilty. "It was Lute!"

"You had more than me!" Lute contradicted. "And Moocher took some, too, before practice started."

Ireland rolled her eyes. "You might as well go ahead and have one, Mush. I'll have to buy a new box anyway."

"Okay," Mush agreed, taking a granola bar from the box and unwrapping it. "Thanks."

"Hey, can I have one?" Itey asked.

"Me, too!" Blink pleaded.

"There's only one left," Ireland replied. "'Cause your teachers ate the rest."

"Can we split it, then?" Blink suggested.

"What are we going to feed the other two, then?" Lute wondered.

"You mean Skittery and what's-his-face?" Trish joked.

"Huh?" Snoddy wondered as he walked into the room. "Did you want to talk to me?"

"You're not hungry, are you?" Ireland asked hopefully.

"No."

"I am," Skittery said enthusiastically.

"I have Doritos," Alex offered.

"Okay," Skittery agreed, sitting down next to Alex. The other boys joined the circle, eating and talking with their teachers.

"So, what should we make them do next, Ireland?" Lute wondered. "Turns?"

"Sure," Ireland said. "A few pirouettes, some axles, maybe a pique or two…"

"Do we have to?" Mush whined, sounding more like a four-year-old than a teenage boy.

"Yes, you have to," Ireland teased. She checked her watch, and then added, "But you can rest for a few more minutes."

"Anybody got more food?" Skittery wondered.

"You finished the Doritos already?" Alex asked, peering into the empty bag. "All right, here's some Pringles."

"Those are mine!" Zodiac exclaimed.

Alex glanced at Skittery, who already had three chips in his mouth. "I think they're Skittery's now," she said with a grin.

"Okay, time's up, everybody," Ireland said. "Pack up your stuff, swallow your Pringles, and spread out in the center of the studio. We're going to review pirouettes."

****

AN: Sorry this update took so long. My grandpa had cancer in his lung, and now it's moved to his brain and liver, so things have been a little hectic around here. I might be going to the hospital to visit him next weekend, so I'm not sure when the next chapter will be posted…I'll try to get it written soon, though.

About the thing where you pretend to soar on a trapeze while doing split leaps----it works! One of my dance friends, Caitlin, taught me that in fourth grade.

The next chapter will feature the advanced dancers and their teachers (Alaska, Moocher, and Janet). After that, I think I'll do a chapter or two that don't take place during dance class…

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Shout-outs:

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Frogger No Baka – Yeah, I have a CD with Ethel Merman singing "Everything's Coming Up Roses" on it. Her voice is awesome. I can't remember that part of Aladdin, though…maybe I need to watch it again.

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Ireland – I can sing along with most musicals, also. I think I knew all the lyrics to _Sound of Music_ when I was about two years old. And I really don't like Eminem, either…he was just the first person I thought of. I've never tried to get my chest on the floor while doing a straddle split…ouch.

__

Oxymoronic Alliteration – Cool penname! Thanks for the review!

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T-R-Us – Yes, Broadway rules. As do newsie caps. Thanks for the review!

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Written Sparks – Eventually, I think the newsies and the members of Adrenaline are going to go to a movie together or something, so then you're character will get to be around people her own age. That should be fun to write. Thanks for the review!

__

ershey – Jack and David are so much fun to torture. Here's your update!

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Clips – Making students do push-ups for not pointing their toes must be kind of a universal dance teacher thing. Thanks for the review!

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Raven – Yes, Twist is Frogger's character. And, yes, you're being nice to Crutchy because it makes Jack jealous. And jealous!Jack is so much fun to write. Thanks for the review!

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Shakes – You do the birthday cheer in real life? Seriously? I might have to work that into the story again…thanks for the reviews!

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Sapphy – Thanks for the glomping. And rainbow toe sock rockage is my specialty. And I love how you put song lyrics in your reviews…they're so much fun to read! Lots of love to you, Sapphers!

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Janet – Thanks for reviewing! Your character should have a big part in the next chapter.

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Randy - * coughisupposeyoucanbreakafewbones,ifyoumustcough *


	6. six

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Chapter Six

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Disclaimer: The newsies belong to Disney, the original characters belong to their creators, and the plot belongs to me. "Hey Ya!" is by Outkast, lyrics to "The Phantom of the Opera" are by Charles Hart & Richard Stilgoe, and "Seize the Day" was composed, of course, by Alan Menken.

Since they wouldn't have to spend as much time reviewing basic steps, the teachers for the experienced dancers decided to start off their first session with introductions.

"Hi, I'm Moocher," the first girl, who sported two ultra-long brown pigtails, said with a winning smile. "But you can call me Mooch. I'm fifteen, and I like money and candy and I _love_ Dance Dance Revolution!"

"So do I," Dutchy commented, and Moocher held her hand up to the pale, blond-haired boy for a high five.

"That rocks," she said. "Who's next?"

"I'll go," another girl, who looked about twelve or thirteen years old, volunteered. "I'm Alaska, I'm sixteen years old, I dance and do karate, and that's about it. Those two things take up most of my time."

"You're sixteen?" Swifty exclaimed in surprise, before realizing that his question could be taken as an insult. "I mean…um…you look so much…uh…_older_ than sixteen."

"Nice try, Swifty," Pie Eater laughed, and the other dancers joined in.

"Your turn, Janet," Moocher, who definitely seemed to be the leader of the group, prompted. "Janet?"

"Oh, hi..." the girl trailed off for awhile. She was sitting a little ways outside of the circle of dancers, making the ring look more Q-shaped than round. She was very thin, and her face was expressionless, as if she weren't really paying attention to the world around her. She sighed before continuing softly. "I'm Janet…thirteen…like to write and read…and sing…lived in Iceland for a few years when I was a kid."

"Janet's the youngest dancer on the team," Moocher added. "I wish I had been that good when I was thirteen."

"I'm not that good," Janet said quietly, staring at the varnished wooden floor, her long, dark brown hair forming a curtain around her face. She absent-mindedly pulled a ponytail holder from her wrist and began to put her hair up, staring at her reflection in the studio mirrors.

"Okay, then, let's dance!" Moocher decided. She hurried to one corner of the room and rummaged through her dance bag for awhile before finding a translucent purple CD case. "I brought my own burnt CD," she announced, slipping the compact disc into the player and skipping to track six. "Hey Ya!" filled the room.

"Not this song again," Specs muttered tiredly.

"Hey, I like this song!" Bumlets exclaimed happily, starting to dance along with the music.

"No kidding. You were singing it in your sleep last night," Dutchy said.

"Wow, Alaska, we finally found another person who sings in their sleep!" Moocher exclaimed.

"Shut up, Mooch, or I'll stop inviting you to my sleepovers."

"You sing in your sleep, too?" Bumlets wondered. "Cool."

Alaska made a face. "Yeah. The other Adrenaline-ers tape recorded me once when we were having a slumber party."

Janet giggled quietly. "That was funny," she murmured. "She was singing 'Memory' from _Cats_."

"Mehhhhh-mory," Moocher crooned as she slowly slid into a split, her warbling soprano voice clashing sharply with the fast-paced music playing in the background. "All alone in the moooooonlight. I can smile at the ooooold days. I was beauuuuuu---ow!" Alaska had quickly and forcefully pushed down on Moocher's shoulders, causing her to slam against the ground in a perfect straddle split. Everyone else in the studio laughed, and it didn't take Moocher long to join in.

The music changed from Outkast to a rock version of "The Phantom of the Opera", and the teenagers in the room spread out and began some serious stretching.

"So, what's your character in the movie like?" Moocher asked Dutchy, who was sitting next to her, doing a series of flexibility stretches. "Have you gotten to read the whole script?"

"Yeah," Dutchy replied. "And, really, my character doesn't do much. I'm mostly just there to sing and dance and fill in the background."

"So you get to have fun making a movie without having to stress out trying to remember your lines?"

"Yep," Dutchy agreed. "And I do have a few lines. Something about asking the lodging house owner if I spelled a strike sign right."

"You're going to have to know your lines better than that if you expect to receive an Oscar for best supporting actor."

"Calling me a supporting actor is kind of a stretch," Dutchy laughed. "In fact, I'd call my character an extra except for the fact that Daniel says we all have important parts in the plot and 'there are no extras in _Newsies_'." He changed positions and then continued. "Actually, I'd really like to win a Tony someday. For best choreography."

"Most of the people on this dance team would like that," Moocher commented. "Either that or get into a professional dance company and then eventually become a teacher like Nikki."

"Is that what you want to do?" Dutchy wondered.

"Nah. I want to do something with acting, too. Maybe be a director-choreographer like Daniel and then make enough money to buy my own line of chocolate shops."

"With Dance Dance Revolution machines installed in every store?" Dutchy teased.

"Of course."

"You think we're ready to start teaching them a routine, Moocher?" Alaska asked.

"Probably," Moocher agreed. "Is everyone stretched enough?" She was answered with nods and shouts of "yes". "Great. Who has the tape that Nikki gave us?"

"Oh, I do," Janet said. She searched her dance bag quickly before finding a plain gray cassette tape with "Newsies Music" scrawled on the label. She joined the other two teachers at the front of the room and handed the tape to Moocher.

"This is a recording of some of the music you'll be dancing to in _Newsies_," Alaska explained as Moocher began to play the tape. Slow, hymnlike piano chords supplemented by a lone male voice filled the room. "It's only piano and basic vocals right now," Alaska continued, "but Daniel said that eventually there will be a whole orchestra. And you'll all be singing along, too."

"This song is called 'Seize the Day'," Moocher added. "During some of the songs, you change locations a lot, but for this one you pretty much stay in one place. Do you wanna show them the opening choreography, Janet?"

"All right," Janet agreed shyly as the boys all shifted to watch her. "You rest at the beginning, and then…" She began dancing, her long ponytail twirling through the air. Eventually, Moocher stopped the tape, and they reviewed as a group, slowing the steps down and practicing them until they were perfect.

****

AN: Sorry about the lack of updatage. My grandpa was in the hospital with cancer for a few weeks, and he passed away on January 23. I've also had a lot of school projects and other stuff to get done. I'll try to return to more regular updates now, though.

****

Shout-outs:

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Frogger No Baka – Pringles are definitely the best snack food. In fact, I've been eating them all morning. Thanks for the review!

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Ireland – My dance friends are like that about food, too. At dance recital food is one of the most precious commodities, second only to hairspray and glitter. And I agree---Mush is extremely adorable.

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Janet – Thanks for saying so much nice stuff about my fic in your reviews. It makes me want to keep writing!

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ershey – The next chapter should focus on stuff outside of dance class. Thanks for the review!

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Sparks – Don't worry, I sometimes think of the newsies as real people, too. I've imagined myself doing dance routines with Bumlets and Mush before (arg, I'm obsessed!). Thanks for reviewing!

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Randy – Thank you for the prayers and reviews! 

* coughhavefunbreakingthosebones,buttrynottodotoomuchdamage * 

Wow, your cough must be contagious or something…

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Lute – Headpounders…now I know what to call those "I know it sucks but just plz R&R" fics…didn't realize there was a technical term for them. Thanks for the review!

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Sapphy – Wow. Now you not only sing in your reviews, but you also quote Shakespeare! I love leaps, too---they're so much fun. Thank you for all the great reviews, and also for archiving some of my fics on your website. Lots of love to you, Sapphers!

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Matchin' Laces – Yes, your character now sings in her sleep…I don't know where that idea came from. Thanks for the review! 

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Clips – Thanks for reviewing!


	7. seven

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Chapter Seven

****

Disclaimer: The newsies belong to Disney, the original characters belong to their creators, and the plot belongs to me. "All That Jazz" is from _Chicago_, by John Kander and Fred Ebb; _Oklahoma! _is by the collective genius that is Rodgers and Hammerstein; and "A Little Fall of Rain" and "Do You Hear the People Sing?" are from _Les Miserables _which is by Claude-Michel Schonberg and Alain Boublil, with English lyrics by Herbert Kretzmer.

After practice was over, the newsies and members of Adrenaline regrouped in the studio lobby where they had gathered earlier that morning. The intermediate and advanced groups both seemed very tired but also fairly cheerful. In the beginner's group, however, the teachers' expressions ranged from vaguely amused to downright exasperated, and the students mostly looked exhausted, sore, and hungry.

"Daniel, when do we get to eat?" Spot whined. "I'm starving, and she," Spot paused to glare at Fighter, "wouldn't let me go to the vending machines or nothing."

"Anything," Janet commented. 

"What?" Spot wondered, turning to stare at her.

"Anything," Janet repeated softly. "You should have said, 'She wouldn't let me go to the vending machines or _anything_.'"

Spot rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Can we eat now?"

"Yep," Daniel said. "All of you newsies are going to eat lunch here at the studio, and then this afternoon you'll have singing lessons. And school." 

Dutchy groaned.

"I thought you liked singing, Dutchy," Daniel commented.

"I do like singing," Dutchy said. "I don't like school."

"Too bad; it's required by law. But I do have a special treat for all of you tonight. For the Adrenaline members, too." The teenagers in the room stopped conversing to listen to Daniel. "At the suggestion of Skittery, we've reserved a movie theatre for the night. You're all invited to watch two movies together, followed by a snack of apple pie a la mode in the dormitory cafeteria."

Pie Eater cringed automatically. "Yay!" Snipeshooter exclaimed. "Hey, _Pie_, do you like your apple _pie _with ice cream? Maybe you should give _Pie _Eater two slices of _pie, _Daniel, since he likes to eat _pie _so much—"

"Shut up!" Pie Eater shouted suddenly, and everyone in the room turned to stare. Swifty slowly started applauding, and soon the other newsies and a few of the dancers joined in. Both Pie Eater and Snipeshooter blushed.

"What movies do we get to see?" Cat asked, effectively changing the subject.

"It's a surprise," Daniel grinned. "And maybe we should change the snack to chocolate layer cake," he added under his breath.

"Oh, and dancers, remember that we have rehearsal this afternoon for the Showcase," Nikki added as the members of Adrenaline began to pack their stuff into their bags and head for the studio doors. Unlike the newsies, they had arrived at the studio separately, carpooling or taking public transportation.

"What's the Showcase?" Bumlets wondered.

"It's like a mini-recital just for Adrenaline," Alaska explained. "It takes place around Halloween. We perform all of this year's new dance competition routines, plus some of us do solos or small group dances."

"You're all invited to come, of course," Nikki said. "So, everybody got that? Be at the dance studio by 3:00 this afternoon or you'll be doing push-ups. _Lots _of push-ups. And possibly some jumping jacks, too. Maybe a few sit-ups." Nikki left the studio, followed by her students.

"See you at the movie tonight, Davey," Shakes said with a wink as she bounced out the door. 

"Davey?" Spot teased.

"Shut up."

* * *

For the newsies, lunch was followed by singing lessons, which were followed by school, which was followed by an early supper, which was followed by an hour at the dorms to rest and get ready for the movies. Then the newsies piled back onto a bus and were driven to a nearby movie theatre. As they climbed off of the bus, the members of Adrenaline were just arriving, in cars or on foot.

"Davey, Davey, Da-vey!" Shakes sang out excitedly, climbing out of the backseat of Sparks's car.

"It sounds like she's calling a dog," Sparks murmured to Sapphy and Ali, who both began laughing hysterically.

David blushed and walked over to Shakes, looking rather embarrassed. "You called?" he asked quietly.

"Uh-huh," Shakes said, hopping up and down on one foot and grinning. "You're sitting with me. And Sapphy and Racetrack."

Hearing his name, Racetrack joined the group. "What am I doing?"

"You're sitting with Sapphy. 'Cause she likes you."

"I never said that!" Sapphy exclaimed, playfully slapping Shakes, her face turning an attractive shade of scarlet.

"You did, too," Shakes corrected, oblivious to Sapphy's embarrassment. "In the car on the way here, right after I said that I liked Davey and Sparks said she liked—" 

Sparks put her hand firmly over the hyperactive fifteen-year-old's mouth. "I said that I liked movies, right Shakes?"

Shakes shook her head 'no'. "Uh-uh, oo ed oo iked ih eek," she mumbled from behind Sparks's hand.

"No, I didn't Shakes-y darling," Sparks said, gritting her teeth. "I said that _I like movies_. Remember now?"

Shakes nodded, and Sparks released her. "Come on, Davey," Shakes said, grabbing the boy's hand. "Let's go in the theatre and find a seat far away from Sparks. She's grumpy today." His face still bright pink, David obediently followed Shakes into the theatre.

"Uh, well, I guess we're supposed to sit with them, right?" Racetrack asked Sapphy, trying to make conversation.

"Oh, yeah," Sapphy said, recovering quickly from her embarrassment at Shakes's earlier comment. "Let's go." They went into the theatre together also, leaving eighteen newsies, fourteen dancers, one Daniel, and one Nikki in the parking lot. 

Dutchy and Moocher were continuing their earlier conversation, enthusiastically discussing chocolate shops and Dance Dance Revolution. Lute had begun telling Bumlets, Snitch, Itey, and some of the other newsies stories of Alaska's sleep-singing adventures, with Alaska standing by to correct Lute's exaggerations. ("I did _not _sing all of 'All That Jazz' in my sleep! Just the first verse…") Specs and Jake added to this story-telling extravaganza by giving a brilliant imitation of Bumlets performing "Hey Ya!" in his sleep the previous night. Seeing this, Daniel quickly herded the group into the movie theatre. ("We don't want you boys getting arrested for indecent exposure…") 

The others soon followed, but as Ireland was walking into the theatre, she felt a hand on her arm, pulling her back to the parking lot.

"Mush?" she questioned. They stood, facing each other, just outside the double doors of the theatre.

"I…uh…I just wanted to thank you for giving me that granola bar today," Mush began nervously. "And I wanted to tell you that you're a really good dancer. And I, uh, I wanted to ask you to sit with me tonight. Alone. Well, I mean, together, but, uh, separate from the others. So that we could talk, or…whatever."

Mush's voice trailed off, and Ireland stared at him in surprise. She hadn't realized… "Sure. I'd like that." They walked into the theatre together and found a seat near the back, apart from the others.

"Now that everyone's here," Daniel said, glancing pointedly at the back of the theatre. "I'll tell you what movies we'll be seeing. We'll start off with _Oklahoma!_, a rousing tale of hope, heartache, and happiness in the heartland, choreographed by the wonderful Agnes de Mille. You newsies may recognize its opening song from this morning.

"It will be followed by a special screening of _Les Miserables_'s Tenth Anniversary Concert. It features all the beloved songs and characters of _Les Mis_,along with a special, never-seen-on-television, Broadway footage. Feel free to sing along!"

"He sounds like an infomercial!" Zodiac commented to Alex, who giggled.

The opening scene of _Oklahoma! _soon filled the movie screen, and the female members of Adrenaline began singing along with "Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin'".

"They're sure loud," Jack muttered, to no one in particular.

"You get used to it," Twist replied, the happiness of the fifteen singing girls surrounding him making him feel more accepting than usual toward this arrogant, conceited non-dancer.

"They don't know _all _the songs in this movie, do they?" Jack asked hopefully.

"Of course they do," Twist replied, grinning. "Most of them know the lyrics for _Les Miserables_, too. Raven and Trish do a stunning rendition of 'A Little Fall of Rain'." Jack stared at Twist in horror for a few seconds before returning his eyes to the screen and resolutely covering his ears.

* * * 

Sure enough, the girls sang straight through _Oklahoma!_, with some of the more musically inclined newsies joining in occasionally. The sing-along continued on through the _Les Mis _concert, and Trish and Raven's duet in the second act was as beautiful as ever, if not exactly sung in the same key as Marius and Eponine.

After both movies had finished, everyone drove to the dormitory where they enjoyed a snack of chocolate layer cake ("But where's the _pie_, Pie?"). Daniel was just getting ready to send the newsies to bed and the dancers home when Sapphy climbed onto a cafeteria table.

"Come on, everyone, let's have one more song! Please, Daniel?" Sapphy pouted adorably.

Daniel rolled his eyes. "Whatever you say, Sapphy."

Sapphy grinned happily. "Do you hear the people sing?" she crooned. "Singing the songs of angry men? Everybody!"

"It is the music of a people who will not be slaves again!

"When the beating of your heart echoes the beating of the drums,

"There is a life about to start when tomorrow comes!"

****

AN: I must confess that I have never actually seen _Les Miserables_, but I have watched the Tenth Anniversary Concert three times in the last two days, as there are thirty inches of snow on the ground, the wind chill is below zero, and we had less than two full days of school this week. I have, however, seen both _Oklahoma! _and _Chicago _many times. Not sure what I'll do for next chapter…I'm sure I'll think of something. Reviews appreciated!

****

Shout-outs!

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Cat – Thanks for the review!

Sparks – Thanks for the review! Here's your update! 

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Scout73 – Actually, I got my newsie cap from an American Girl catalogue, but I'm sure some other store would carry them…maybe look on Amazon? Thanks for reviewing!

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Frogger – Aw, you were concerned? About me? (Or the story?) Actually, I've never played DDR before…seems that 90% of the people who have become addicted. Thanks for the review!

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Ireland – I agree: "Memory" is a much better song than "Hey Ya!". And, yes, owning a line of chocolate shops and/or being an extra in _Newsies_ (and meeting Gene Kelly!) would both be awesome. Thanks for reviewing!

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ershey – I e-mailed you about dedicating a luminaria for my grandpa, but in case you didn't get that message, I would definitely appreciate having him remembered in that way. I have seen the luminarias at Relay for Life, and they're so beautiful. Thanks for the review!

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Clips – At my school, the number of projects seems to vary with what grade you're in. I seem to be in a project-heavy grade this year (yuck). Thanks for reviewing!

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Sapphy – I've never actually played DDR before…but it's amazing how many of my readers are addicted to it… Thanks for the hug, Sapphy---I needed that. Lots of love to you!

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Matchin' Laces – Your dog can pitch match while howling? Awesome…wish mine could do that! Thanks for the review!

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Randy - * yeah,goaheadandbreakafewofSpot'sbones---mightdeflatehisegoabit *

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Janet – Thanks for all the nice stuff you said about my grandpa. It helped a lot. I'm glad I got your character right. This chapter had so many people in it that I didn't get to spend much time on any one individual character, but I will probably split them into groups again so that I can give each original character more attention. Thanks for sending in a review!

  



	8. eight

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Chapter Eight

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Disclaimer: The newsies belong to Disney, the original characters belong to their creators, and the plot belongs to me. I do not own M&M's (I wish) or _West Side Story_ or "Good Morning Baltimore" or "Wake Up Little Susie" or "Bring Me to Life".

Over the next couple weeks, a routine was established among the newsies. The boys were awoken each morning with Daniel's renditions of songs including "Good Morning Baltimore" from _Hairspray_, "Wake Up Little Susie", and Evanescence's "Bring Me to Life". They attended group dance classes in the morning with singing lessons, dialect coaching, school, and rehearsals in the afternoons. Gradually, things like costume fittings were thrown into the mix too. Over time, David became used to Shakes's consistently hyperactive state, Ireland and Mush started to spend more and more time together, and the newsies became used to the fact that, if music was playing, at least three of the Adrenaline girls would be singing along.

After the initial few weeks, Daniel began having the principal newsies work individually with their teachers, especially the non-dancers like David, Jack, Racetrack, and Spot. David and Racetrack didn't mind too much, as Shakes was a good teacher if you could ignore her constant bouncing, and Race was actually starting to enjoy listening to Sapphy sing along with various musical soundtracks. Spot and Fighter, on the other hand, continued to share a mutually strong dislike for each other, and Jack, despite his complaints to Daniel, Nikki, and anyone else who would listen, was still stuck with Twist, the only boy on the dance team, as his teacher.

"Why can't I be with Raven?" he murmured to himself, as Twist forced him through yet another set of stretches at the beginning of one of their private practices.

"What'd you say?" Twist asked distractedly, flipping through a stack of CDs and finally choosing one.

"I said, 'why can't I'---not this again!" Jack exclaimed suddenly, as the _West Side Story_ soundtrack began to play.

Twist shrugged smugly. "Guess Sapphy's music taste has rubbed off on me."

"I doubt I'll ever have that problem," Jack muttered, trying to stretch and cover his ears at the same time. "And I said, 'why can't I be with Raven?' You know, as my dance teacher? Instead of you?" Jack glared in his instructor's direction.

"What, you don't like me?" Twist teased, trying to pout, but unable to hide his grin. "You'd rather have dark-haired, pretty-eyed, exotic-beauty Raven as your teacher?"

"Yes," Jack replied emphatically. "With her, I'd at least have something nice to look at while my body was being tortured with never-ending stretches, and my eardrums were being ruined with stupid musical soundtracks. Instead, I'm stuck with some guy who has no life."

"Just 'cause I'm a male dancer, that means I have no life?" Twist asked.

"Uh, yeah. You spend your entire summer hanging out with fifteen Broadway-obsessed teenage girls. And that wouldn't be so bad in itself, except that you're _dancing_ with them. Not dating them, _dancing _with them. And then when you graduate high school, you're just gonna keep dancing. That's all you ever do!"

"So?" Twist asked, beginning to sound defensive. "What are you going to do when you graduate? There's no way they're going to keep hiring you for Disney musicals. I know three-legged cats with more dance ability than you."

"I'm gonna be an actor," Jack replied confidently. He grinned. "Actors make _lots_ more money than dancers."

"I don't care about the money," Twist said softly. "I was thinking about doing some acting though---that's why I auditioned for _Newsies_."

"You auditioned for _Newsies_?" Jack exclaimed. "And you, Mister High-and-Mighty Super-Dancer-Boy didn't get in?"

Twist shook his head. "I hurt my ankle halfway through auditions."

"That sucks," Jack said sincerely. "They didn't even make me dance during my audition."

"Which is a good thing, 'cause if they had, you wouldn't have gotten the part," Twist remarked, his smile returning.

"Shut up," Jack said. He had stopped stretching awhile ago and was actually beginning to enjoy his conversation with Twist. "But, um, does Raven have a boyfriend or anything? Did you ever go out with her?"

"No and no. She goes to parties and stuff, but I don't think she's had a boyfriend for awhile. You'd have to ask one of the girls about that, though. When they start discussing which boy gave them what kind of chocolate for which holiday, I usually disappear."

"Raven likes chocolate?"

"Jack, all girls like chocolate," Twist said. "All the ones on Adrenaline, anyway. Nikki, too. I buy her a bag of M&M's whenever I'm late for rehearsal, to keep her from shouting at me."

"Maybe I should buy Raven some chocolate…" Jack mused.

"Yeah, and maybe we should start dancing, since that's kinda what we're here for. Daniel wanted me to start teaching you your solo dance today."

Jack groaned. "Why can't someone else do the solo stuff?" he wondered. "Like you---you look kind of like me; the audience would never notice."

"Of course they would," Twist countered. "I'm much more attractive than you."

"Hah. You wish. Can we turn the CD off now?" The _West Side Story_ soundtrack had begun to play "I Feel Pretty".

"Yeah." Twist hit the stop button. "Okay, Daniel showed me this dance. I think it's kind of weird looking, but he's the director."

"Oh, great," Jack muttered. "I have to learn a dance that even _you_ think is weird-looking."

****

AN: I finally wrote an outline for this fic! Yeah, I know, usually authors make those before they actually start writing the story. And usually I do that too, but I wanted to see where the casting call would go… Also, I'm really sorry that this chapter was so short…it seemed like a good place to stop, though, and I'm still really bogged down with stupid school projects. (Yuck.) I'll try to make the next chapter longer! Also, check out the newly refurbished chapter one. It was originally posted as a text document, but now I've updated it to HTML, with lots of cool stuff like bolds and italics. 

****

Shout-outs:

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Jocelyn Padoga – I promise I won't actually let Randy break any of Spot's bones…not till after the fic's over, anyway! And don't feel too bad about spending Valentine's Day watching _Newsies_---I spent it watching _Riverdance_. Thanks for the review!

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Ireland – I love Oklahoma, too! My school's performing it this year…too bad I'm too young to be in it. I hope to see Les Mis someday, also. I've been wandering around the house all day, singing "On My Own". Don't feel bad about spending Valentine's Day with a bag of M&M's---I spent it doing a science report and watching my _Riverdance_ video. Thanks for reviewing!

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nani – Thanks for reading and reviewing!

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Shakes – Thank you, thank you, thank you for your review! It was so much fun to read, and it is definitely the longest review I have ever received!

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Sparks – I'm glad I got your character right. I get kind of nervous sometimes, writing other people's characters, but it's working out pretty well. Thanks for the review!

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Raven – Here's more Twist for you! He's so much fun to write! Thanks for reviewing!

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Sapphy – Go read Shakes's review---she apologizes multiple times for telling Race that you liked him. Pie and Snipes are lots of fun to write. I just added them in one chapter, and for some reason I can't stop those stupid pie jokes! Thanks for the review, and lots of love to you, Sapphers!

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ershey – I definitely recommend the Les Mis Tenth Anniversary Concert, or at least one of the soundtracks. I must admit, I have never sung along with a movie in a theater…I have sung along lots of times at home, though! Thanks for the review!

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Clips – I **hate** writer's block…I think I'm suffering a small bout of it right now, in fact…that would explain why this chapter was so short. Thanks for the review!

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Matchin' Laces – Thanks for reviewing!

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Janet – Yeah, I love musicals, too. Thanks for reviewing!


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